Truvada is a fixed-dose combination tablet comprising 200mg FTC (emtricitabine) and 300mg tenofovir manufactured by Gilead Sciences. FTC is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) and tenofovir is a nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NtRTI). These drugs reduce the amount of HIV in the body.

The standard dose of Truvada is one tablet once a day, with or without food, in combination with at least one other anti-HIV drug. It is licensed for use in adults over 18 years of age. Its European license was granted in February 2005 and it was licensed in the United States in August 2004.

The approval of Truvada was based on studies showing that taking the combination tablet produced levels of FTC and tenofovir that are similar to the constituent drugs of tenofovir (Viread) and FTC (Emtriva) taken separately, and on studies showing the effectiveness of the two drugs^[1]. The safety, resistance and effectiveness of the combination were also extrapolated from previous studies of tenofovir and 3TC (lamivudine, Epivir). 3TC is regarded as sufficiently similar to FTC by regulatory authorities that it can be treated as a substitute for the purposes of approval.

Truvada’s constituent drugs have not been assessed in pregnant women, so it is only recommended for use during pregnancy where the risks outweigh the benefits.

For more information on FTC and tenofovir, including side-effects, resistance and drug interactions, see FTC (emtricitabine, Emtriva) and tenofovir disoproxil (Viread).